Mechanical
by coolsville times
Summary: American Graffiti: John's amazing and Budda's skeptical. [Rut tie-in.]


_Mechanical_

Disclaimer: I do not own _American Graffiti _or any of the characters.

Summary: John's amazing and Budda's skeptical.

Author's Note: Well I'm back with more _Graffiti_-spam, lol. I realize that this is a little...different from my other_ American Graffiti _fics, and for purely selfish reasons as this is a way to get out my own thoughts but I hope it's enjoyable and believable as a girl's reflections when she meets a really nice guy. (Or maybe they're just_ my_ paranoid reflections.) This also ties into the_ Rut_ universe.

* * *

"Hey, Budda! Pick up the pace, will ya? What's wrong with you tonight, girl?" A voice demanded from behind the counter. She couldn't be bothered to answer and simply shook her head as she skated outside with a food tray in her hands.

If she was completely honest with herself, she _had_ been a little off lately and her purse most definitely felt it. Try as she might, she just couldn't shake John Milner from her mind and he was starting to get in the way of her day-to-day.

It wasn't that things weren't going great, in reality they were going too great and that was the problem. He was kind and unexpectedly sweet; he told her she was pretty and that he was the most patient man in the world so she could take all the time she needed and it was just too much.

No guy had ever told her she was pretty before, no one ever seemed to care so much and she was left wondering where the catch was. When would all of this blow up in her face, leaving her lonely and heartbroken?

She wasn't so sure she was ready to find out and she was too vulnerable to go through that again.

* * *

The night was excruciatingly long, simply going through the motions like a robot while her mind was elsewhere. After ten, long hours she was sure she'd only made thirty dollars and as she headed out to her car, barefoot, skates in hand, she mentally reminded herself that thirty dollars a night wouldn't pay her rent.

"Hey, girl."

It was the reason for her distraction and the absence of her common sense. When had he pulled up?

Despite her inner turmoil and better judgment, she quickly changed direction and headed for the infamous coupe of her...boyfriend? No, that wasn't right. They hadn't talked about labels or even the status of their occasional outings.

But then what would that make him?

Her acquaintance? No, that was a little impersonal.

Her friend? That seemed too mundane for the nature of some of their conversations.

She shook her head to stop that line of thought and, as she approached, he climbed out of his car, a small smile on his face. He made a tantalizing picture standing there, leaning on his car and wearing an expression that could make any woman in her right mind go weak in the knees.

He had to be bad for her. There was just no way that such a good-looking guy could be interested in her for any reason other than completely destroying her and disabling her ability to be a functioning human being in society. She had to stop this.

"Hey, John," she mumbled as she reached him.

His smile widened and she saw his hands twitch at his sides before he finally crossed his arms over his chest. This behavior was not uncommon for him and he had once told her that he itched to hold her sometimes but refrained because he wasn't much for public displays of affection.

She never would have guessed that not touching her took so much effort on his part. That was yet another incredibly sweet thing that was not expected from someone like him and put her on edge.

"How was work?" It was an innocent question, one he asked every morning when he came to see her before heading to work himself. He was amazingly considerate that way, always wanting to know how she was and if she was okay.

She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes against the warm pavement; in a couple of hours it'd be scorching. "Alright." Her answer was short and a bit cold, she knew. And he knew it too as he narrowed his eyes at her.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and looked around the practically barren parking lot; mornings weren't really a busy time at Mel's. "You sure?" He was searching for something and, knowing him, it was probably the cause of her irritation but he wouldn't find that in the parking lot.

She nodded in response and started backing away from him. "Yeah...well I should probably get going. I have an extended shift tonight so..."

His eyes snapped back to her and he started forward, abandoning his impossibly cool stance against his car and his reputation with it. "I thought we had plans this afternoon before your shift?" He looked confused and it tugged at her heartstrings.

"I'm sorry...I forgot about that when I promised to pick up Patti's shift." Her voice was a lot shakier than she'd intended and, by the fire in his eyes, he could tell she was lying. It wasn't a surprise to her; she'd never been the best liar. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow," she vowed unconvincingly.

"You sure everything's alright?" he questioned a second time, taking yet another step forward. She opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. "Because it's like you've been trying to run away from me since I got here. Have I done something?"

"No," she began quickly, so quickly that his brow creased in irritation. "I just...I think we're moving too fast and things are going so well that I'm almost positive something is going to go wrong," she confessed with a sigh. "I think I need some time to adjust."

His face relaxed instantly and he closed the distance between them, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Take all the time you need, Budda. I'll be here when you're ready." He kissed her then before walking back to his car and quickly speeding off to work.

Sighing, she turned and walked toward her own car. _He would be there when she was ready. _He was so understanding so why did it seem like he was too good to be true?

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_Please review. _


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